Nate's Darling
by Kittendragon
Summary: Years ago, Nate fell in love with a handsome, young pre-law student. But, he lost him, and was left with the heartbreak...and their only son... Whom he swore he'd protect... MPREG Don't like, don't read. This has major spoilers for both Angel and Leverage, as well as Nate/Lindsey slash and a healthy dose of hurt/comfort. It won't always be a "happy" story. Still here? Welcome!
1. Chapter 1

He was perfect. For Nate, _to _Nate, he was perfect.

A good three or four inches shorter than Nate, Lindsey stood at just the right height for Nate to rest his chin on the top of those brown locks when they hugged. Slim and sleek, with long legs and strong arms, and cleaver as the day was long, Lindsey was the all-American dream wrapped in a very handsome package.

Nate had wanted him from the first moment he'd laid eyes on the eighteen year-old law student, that first day of move-in week, and had loved him almost as long. Being a senior himself (and having just turned twenty-two over the summer holidays), Nate had felt that it was almost his right to approach the wide-eyed country boy with holes in his jeans and only one suitcase.

"Nathan Ford", he'd said with a confident air and an outstretched hand.

Lindsey had looked at the hand, startled, before turning assessing eyes to Nathan's own blues. Nate held the contact, recognizing old hurts when he saw them, and waited for Lindsey to weigh his intentions. He did his upmost to broadcast ease and good intent to the wary freshman.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Lindsey'd switched his suitcase from his right to his left hand, and reached out slowly to clasp Nathan's.

"Lindsey McDonald. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ford."

Nathan smiled.

"Just Nathan, if you would."

The smile that spread across Lindsey's face told Nathan all he needed to know. This young man was absolutely _meant_ to be his.


	2. Chapter 2

Lindsey was a hard worker, and studied more than even Nathan, himself. He rarely went out, and Nate found him draped over his books on more than one occasion, to tired to move, but unwilling to leave anything for another day.

He had learned quickly that trying to pry Lindsey away from his work only earned him a mistrustful glare, as if Nathan had suggested Lindsey fail his classes for Nathan's benefit. After only two times of being on the receiving end of that wounded animal look, Nathan had taken to bringing food _to_ Lindsey, instead of trying to bring Lindsey to the food.

"You can lead a horse to water..." Nathan had snickered, setting down some takeout from the Italian restaurant around the corner. (Only the best for his little soon-to-be lawyer... Not that Lindsey knew how Nate felt for him.)

"What?" Lindsey had asked, dragging dazed eyes away to try and focus on Nate.

"Nothing," Nate smiled, setting an open container, a bottle of soda, and a fork next to Lindsey's right hand. "Here. Dinner."

Lindsey went back to reading without a word, and Nate dug into his own pasta al forno.

Not a minute later, Lindsey reached out absentmindedly and took both food and fork into his hands, never taking his eyes off of the current chapter. He ate every bit of the meal, totally focused and unaware of the happy little noises he made as he slowly munched on the food in his hands.

Nate did his best to hide his smile behind bits of sauce and bread.


	3. Chapter 3

When the football team approached Lindsey for tryouts, having heard through the grapevine about his high school stardom, Lindsey had looked truly conflicted before smiling a lopsided half-smile that didn't reach his eyes in the least.

"Thanks, fellas, but I can't."

Nate had watched on as the varsity stars had tried to wheedle a yes out of the Oklahoma native. Lindsey had kindly deflected each offer, and in the end was left with a "Whenever you change your mind, man" and a few back-slaps.

"Why didn't you agree to tryout?" Nate had asked after watching Lindsey stare after the retreating teammates for a few moments. "You study hard enough. Hell, even _I'm_ on a team here. And, I can tell you want to-"

"I just can't!" Lindsey had snapped, whipping his head back to the book in his lap. Nate sat in stunned silence, surprised that Lindsey actually let his feelings win for a few seconds. If Lindsey was anything, it was controlled. Oh sure, Nate had seen the fire behind Lindsey's eyes, but the younger man always had a handle on his emotions. Not in a frightening, "I'm a psycho under here" way, but in a "I won't let you use my emotions as canon fodder" way.

Nate stared at the top of Lindsey's head until the younger man sighed, looking up to squint at Nate. "Look, I have to graduate at the top of my class. I just _have to_, okay?...

I'm sorry I snapped at you." He murmured, trying once again to return to his book.

"It's okay, Lindsey." Nate assured, hoping to soothe Lindsey's agitation.

"It's really not," Lindsey looked up again.

"Look," he said as he shut his book, no doubt having already memorized the page number. Lindsey's mind never ceased to amaze. "You've been really good to me, and I don't know why. But, I do appreciate it. I really do. I just can't figure out what you want from me."

"I don't want anything from you-"

"Everybody wants something."

"Well, what do _you_ want, Lindsey?"

Lindsey rocked back on his sit-bones, as if no one had ever asked him that question. After a quick recap of their interactions, Nate realized that it might just be true. Lindsey's body language definitely pointed in that direction.

"I want..." Lindsey started, his eyes flickering over Nathan as if trying to gage a future reaction. "I want..." He tried again, shifting in his seat.

His eyes flickered around the outdoor commons, where they were sat, before huffing suddenly and grabbing up his bag and book, shooting to his feet.

"You know what? What I want isn't anyone's business but my own!" He growled, drilling a glare into Nathan before stalking off across the lawn. It took Nathan only a few seconds to recover and gather his own belongings, jogging after Lindsey and falling into stride with the angry young man.

"I'm sorry Lindse-Hey!" Nathan snapped, grabbing Lindsey's arm in a gentle but firm grip and pulling them both to a stop. His matched his eyes to Lindsey's blazing ones. "I'm sorry I upset you. I was trying to dodge your question, and I was out of line to turn it on you like that. I'm sorry. Okay, Lindsey? I'm _sorry."_

Lindsey huffed again, flaring his nostrils and tilting his head back as if that would suddenly make him taller than Nate. He glared, but didn't try to reclaim his arm as he breathed through his anger. Letting out a growl, he dropped his chin back down and let the tension bleed out of him.

"No one's ever apologized that much to me. Ever."

"Then they're idiots."

Lindsey barked out a laugh. "I could be talking about family, you know-"

"Familial idiots, then." Nathan quipped, still gently holding on should Lindsey try to bolt, again. Lindsey dropped his head and nodded to the ground before looking back up.

"Okay, okay. You're sorry. I'm sorry. What do you want?"

"You," Nate blurted out, eyes widening before he gathered his courage and charged on. He could see Lindsey's eyes widening before they started to narrow. "Not like that!

I mean. I want you around. I want your friendship; your company. I like how smart you are, and how hard you work. I like that you're driven and talented and I'd like to be your friend. No strings. No expectations. Just you."

"Just me?" Lindsey reaffirmed, as if weighing out a good court case argument. He would make a fantastic lawyer someday, Nate knew. But, that was neither here nor there.

"Just you."

"And what if you change your mind? What if you decide you want more from me."

"I'll never ask more than you're willing to give."

"You don't know that."

"Then, I'll never force you to give me what you can't."

"You don't know that, either-"

"No, Lindsey- That I _do_ know. I'll never take from you what you aren't willing to offer of your own free will. You tell me no, and I leave it be. I swear."

"You swear, huh?"

"Yes, Lindsey."

"So if I said, right now, that I didn't want your friendship..." Lindsey's eyes were assessing as he led Nate's next statement.

"Then I would leave you be," Nate answered, not even trying to hide the pain at the thought of that possible future. "But don't think I wouldn't miss your company. Not even for a second."

As Nate watched, inwardly terrified that this was it for them, Lindsey's mouth slowly quirked up into a tiny, but genuine, smile. The second true smile that Nate had ever seen on Lindsey's face.

"Okay, then." He nodded.

"Okay, what?" Nate asked, trying to avoid becoming frantic.

"Okay. Friends. We're friends."

"We're friends?" Nate asked with blossoming hope, a smile of his own spreading across his lips to match Lindsey's.

"Yes," Lindsey nodded again, sure and absolute. "You are _my_ friend. Maybe even my _only _friend_, _but a friend, nevertheless...Now, can I have my arm back?"

"Oh!" Nathan softly exclaimed, realizing that he'd been holding onto Lindsey this whole time. He released Lindsey with a quick. "Sorry!"

"Meh. No problem. I mean, I knew you meant me no harm." Lindsey smiled as he adjusted his bag, turning to continue on his way. Sure that Nate would follow.

"You were going to say we were friends all along, weren't you?" Nate realized, once again matching Lindsey's stride.

"Maybe," Lindsey said, casting a sideways glance at Nate, smirking just a little.

"Jerk," Nate muttered, good-naturedly.

Lindsey's laugh could be heard across the lawn.


	4. Chapter 4

"Did you know that I was poor?" Lindsey asked, apropos of nothing. They were sitting in _Nate's_ dorm for a change, food containers, law books, and insurance company applications spread across the floor in front of them. "_Am_ poor?"

"No," Nate replied, sifting through his current application, something about a company named _IYS. _He'd heard of them before, but needed to do more research for the application. Lindsey nudged him with a foot to the knee to get his attention.

"I am, you know. Poor."

Nate looked up to find Lindsey half sprawled against the side of his desk, one long leg stretched out to nudge Nate while the other stayed tucked under the knee in a lazy runner's stretch. There was a book across his lap, as usual, and his eyes were only half open. But, Nate could tell that the relaxation in the sprawl was feigned. Lindsey sat too still as he waited for Nathan's reply, his writing hand perfectly poised over the legal pad at his side.

"That's fine, Lindsey."

"It's really not."

"It's not why we're friends."

Lindsey tensed. "Well, no-"

"No, I didn't know, when we met. Didn't know until you just told me-"

"But now that you know-" Lindsey started to shift, agitated, as if he needed to get up so Nate could get on with kicking him out. Nate rested a hand on Lindsey's foot to still him.

"Now that I know, I feel privileged-" Lindsey snorted and Nate's lips quirked, the irony of his word choice unintentional, but still not lost on him. "to know you trust me enough to tell me. You're still my friend. I still want tobe_ your _friend. And no, if I buy you food in the future, it's not charity or pity. It's the same as it was before."

"And what was it, before?"

"A friend buying his buddy a meal because said buddy can't keep time and therefore misses the closing of every food supplier in the area."

Lindsey snorted, settling back into his sprawl, now more relaxed. "Yeah, okay."

Nate smiled, returning to his work.

A few minutes later, Lindsey piped up with a, "You know I'm on a full ride plus per diem here, right? I _can_ afford food, now."

"So buy me dinner."

Nate pretended not to see the smile that Lindsey tried to hide in his notes.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm officially a sophomore, now," Lindsey stated one day in late October, as they sat down for a coffee at the nearby cafe. They'd started coming here when they needed off campus for a while. Lindsey liked that the cafe had a coffee table big enough for his spread of notes and books. Nate liked the recliners that went with the table, as well as the shop's brand of columbian coffee.

"Do what?" Nate's eyebrows inched towards the curly fringe of his bangs. "How is that possible? You've only been at the university for two months!"

"Why do you think I study so much?" Lindsey asked with a tiny smirk, looking up at Nate through his lashes. "I'm trying to test out of most of the classes that don't have some kind of required practical. I tested out of almost all of the gen-ed classes before I even started, back in September."

Nathan was impressed.

"I plan to finish my undergrad in two years, instead of four," Lindsey continued. "I need to start _working_, and not as a student worker. I can't do that if I'm still in school."

"Isn't that a little ambitious?" Nate asked carefully. He was getting used to Lindsey's prickly nature. "I mean, don't you want to enjoy college life?"

"What's there to enjoy, Nate?" Nathan gave a start. Lindsey rarely addressed him by name, for some unknown reason. "I mean, yes. You're my friend, and I like having you around. But, I'm not on a team and I don't want to be. You're graduating in the spring, and I really don't want to spend the next seven _years _ of my life here, when I could be out _there_ working. If I study over the summer, I can get this done in maybe four years."

"You're planning to get your law degree in two years instead of three?"

Lindsey smiled.

"You've been paying attention, haven't you?"

"The average law degree takes three years. You want to finish your undergrad in two, and you plan to take classes over the summer. And with your propensity for testing out of classes, I'm assuming you hope to knock some time off the law degree. Am I right?"

Lindsey nodded.

"Just don't burn yourself out."

"That's why I have you."

"To make sure you eat?"

Lindsey laughed.

"To make sure I stay sane."

"Ish," Nate snarked.


	6. Chapter 6

AN/Warning: This chapter mentions abuse/attack. Nothing graphic, but please remember that this story /is/ labeled "hurt/comfort" for a reason. If you have any triggers, I'd suggest skipping this chapter. Otherwise, read on.

It was early January when everything tried to fall apart on Nathan and Lindsey.

They had just returned from winter break, and Lindsey seemed even more reserved than before. Nate could tell that being "home for the holidays" had left yet another set of scars on the younger man, but Lindsey refused to open up about it. Gone were the rare smiles and snarky comments. In their place, deep frown lines took up residence around Lindsey's mouth. His eyes squinted as he dove into his studies with an almost dogged fervor.

"What happened, Lindsey?" Nate had tried to ask as he watched Lindsey pour over three massive law books, looking like he was in distress.

"Nothing," Lindsey had quipped, shaking his head almost frantically. He shot a look up to Nate for only a moment. "Look, I just _can't_. Okay, Nate? I _really_ just can't. Not right now. If you wanna stay, stay. But, don't ask me what because I _can't."_

"Alright, Lindsey."

It wasn't until a week and a half later that everything came to a head.

Nate had been sound asleep at two am, when there was a pounding on his door that made him shoot awake.

"Nate! _Nate!_" Nate recognized Lindsey's voice, though he'd never heard it so loud, or so terrified.

Nate dropped out of bed in time to hear Lindsey murmur, "Please be there."

He'd pulled the door open just as Lindsey'd started calling his name again.

"What, Lindsey!" Nate asked as he threw the door open.

The door wasn't even fully open before Lindsey barged in, turning to slam the door behind him and press his face into the wood. His head shook back and forth as he shuddered. Nate reached out to touch his back, before thinking better of it and reaching for the light.

"No!" Lindsey cried, but it was too late. As he turned to stop Nate, the light flickered on and Nate saw what Lindsey'd been hoping to hide.

"What the _hell,_ Lindsey!" Nate shouted as he reached for Lindsey, grabbing the young man by the shoulders. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

Lindsey tried to shy away from Nate's touch, but Nate wasn't having it. He gently pulled Lindsey to his bed, setting him down on the side of the mattress. He pulled up his desk chair to sit across from him.

Lindsey's face was bruised and beaten. One eye was starting to swell shut; his lip and cheek were split and bleeding. There was a nasty purple bruise on his forehead and Nate could tell, by the way Lindsey held himself, that the bruising didn't stop there.

"Stay here," Nate commanded, moving into the adjoining bathroom and returning with two cold wash clothes, a small hand towel, and the first aid kit he kept for sports injuries.

Lindsey watched him warily through his one good eye as Nate gently wiped away the blood and grime from Lindsey's face. He handed Lindsey the clean washcloth to press against his swelling eye, before getting out the alcohol wipes and disinfectant for the cuts.

"May I?" He asked, knowing that the wipes and solvent would sting. Lindsey just nodded, his body becoming completely still.

They sat in silence while Nate worked. He knew better than to ask Lindsey what had happened, again. Lindsey didn't like being prodded. The best way to get an answer from him was to ask once, and then wait it out.

When Nate had finished with Lindsey's face, he asked if there was anything else. He could see the bruises spreading down below Lindsey's shirt collar, but he wouldn't push Lindsey to show him. Lindsey had been pushed around enough, it seemed.

Lindsey stared into Nate's eyes for a long moment, before finally nodding. He dropped his hands to the hem of his shirt, and painfully began to lift. Nate thought of offering to help, and then thought better of it. Lindsey still had his pride, and if he needed help he'd ask.

The shirt came off slowly, and then Lindsey reached a hand out to Nate.

"Help me up," He sighed, his voice rough and defeated. Nate took his hands and lifted Lindsey up to a standing position. Lindsey eyed him, once more, before he went for his belt. Without breaking eye contact, Lindsey undid his belt, button, and zip before letting the jeans he'd been wearing fall to the floor. He reached for Nate's hands, again, and Nate helped him to sit back down in his boxer briefs. Nate gestured to Lindsey's shoes, and Lindsey nodded his assent for Nate to remove them, as well as his socks and jeans.

Now getting a full view of the state Lindsey was in, Nate felt a rage build in him like he'd never felt, before. Bruises molted up and down Lindsey's torso and arms. There were red marks up and down his legs, and his whole left side looked like someone had dragged him across the pavement. Nate's eyes trailed up the damage, coming to rest on a set of dark bruises circling Lindsey's neck. Bruises he hadn't seen fully with Lindsey's own arm in the way, holding the washcloth to his face. Nate felt his breathing becoming labored as he matched the bruises on Lindsey's neck to the ones on his right thigh. Taking one more sweep of the damage (and desperately wanting to see Lindsey's back to assess the damage that was surely to be found there, as well), Nate locked his gaze to Lindsey's good eye.

"I'm only going to ask this once, Lindsey," Nate stated low, trying to keep himself under control. "Who. The _fuck_. choked you?" _And then grabbed your thigh like you were some damn whore. _He added in his mind, but kept the thought to himself. For now.

"They found out that I'm a carrier."

Well wasn't that a punch in the head, no pun intended. Nate shook himself, trying to clear all thought and hear Lindsey correctly.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked, confused and flabbergasted. "Who found out you're a what?"

"You heard me," Lindsey growled. "You do _know_ what a carrier is, don't you, Nate?"

Lindsey was getting huffy in his agitation. Huffy Lindsey, Nate could deal with. Huffy Lindsey liked to talk... or gripe, more like.

"I know what a carrier is, Lindsey," Nate snarked right back. "But why would that cause all of _this_." He waved in the general vicinity of Lindsey's many bruises. "Carriers are common. _Very_ common. Why would someone attack you for that?"

"Because I'm _pretty_," Lindsey sneered. It was obvious that the word had been flung at him earlier in the night. "Look, you know the varsity running back and his buddies?"

"Yeesss.." Nate drawled out, leading.

"Well, they found out that the team captain and _his_ buddies had asked me to try out. Dick got it into his head that they wanted to replace him. With _me. _

Well, obviously I turned the offer down. And bubba takes offense. Convinces himself that I turned down the offer because I thought I was _too_ _good _for college ball. Starts digging around for possible reasons as to why I'd 'refuse to take him on'. Has a buddy and the student clinic who, against the law I might add, rifles through my records.

Finds out I'm a carrier. decides that the only reason I don't want to go up against him, is because I want to be _with_ him.

Now, let me say first that you _know _ why I turned them down. And, it had _nothing to do _ with dickhead and his merry band of dipshits. I didn't even _know_ that the team wanted to find his replacement, though I can't begin to _fathom_ just _why _they'd want to replace such an upstanding paragon of human decency."

Nate couldn't stop himself from snickering a little at Lindsey's sarcasm.

"So, he stops me on my way from the library and says he's got me all figured out. Says 'If you'd wanted to be my little bitch, you could've just asked, Sugar.' I tell him _exactly_ what I think of that. His buddies jump me as I'm walking away." Lindsey stopped there to gage Nate's reaction.

Nate waited for the rest. Lindsey just sat there.

"What happened, then? Where are these guys?"

Lindsey shrugged, and then winced.

"We fought, I took out a few of them. Somebody saw the fight and called campus security. They jumped in. Dickhead made the mistake of punching a cop. I have a feeling they won't be on the team, come tomorrow morning."

"And what about you? Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"I didn't want to go."

"Lindsey-"

"Look, I can't afford a trip to the hospital, okay?" Lindsey's breathing was starting to become labored. Nate couldn't tell if it was from his anger, or his injuries. "I came here because I wanted... I wanted to be somewhere safe, Nathan."

And then, Nate understood.

"They didn't- ?" He started to ask, gingerly.

"_No_," Lindsey growled, emphatically. "The handprint on my leg is from when he tried to drag me to him. The furthest they got with my clothing was my shirt up under my arms, from the dragging. Hence the nice little bit of road rash. I kicked him in the face before he could get me under him."

"Good man," Nate approved.

"He ain't gonna be my first man."

Lindsey's eyes blazed.

"Wait, what?" Nate was thrown, again. He sank into the chair in front of Lindsey, reaching for the first aid kit, but not really pulling anything out. He just needed something to do with his hands.

"Look, Nate. I like girls-"

"I know-"

"No, you don't." Lindsey cut in. "I like girls. But, I'm a carrier and I do like boys, too. I've never trusted anyone enough to be with me like that, but I do fancy boys just as much. Maybe more so. But, I'm not gonna let some jock, nice or not, slide between my legs just so he can get me pregnant.

Now, I came here tonight because you're safe. You're my friend, and I don't really want a bunch of strangers pokin' and proddin' at me in places they shouldn't be because they fear I might've been raped. I wasn't. I'm fine. I'm just beat up and I'd like to have someone I _know_ look after me, if it's not too much to ask. So, what do ya say?"

"You swear to me you weren't raped?"

"I _swear_, Nate. They didn't get a single article of clothing off my body."

Nate gathered up a few supplies, and went back to patching Lindsey up.

"Alright, Lindsey."

That night, Nate made Lindsey take his bed while he pulled his papasan chair up to face the door.

"You know, they're in jail for the night. You don't have to guard me," Lindsey's voice drifted up into the darkness.

"You wanted to stay here, and I want you to, too. But you got what you wanted from me, now let me do what I feel I need to do. Ridiculous or not. Humor me."

Lindsey huffed, but didn't say any more on the subject. Nate settled in.

"Nate?" Lindsey called out just as Nate was falling asleep.

"Yes, Lindsey?"

"You still wanna know why I was upset after Christmas?"

Nate sat up a little straighter, turning his ear towards the bed.

"If you want to tell me."

"...My brother just found out he's a carrier. He and his twin sister just hit 13."

"Oh."

"They live with my grandma in a trailer park," Nate could hear Lindsey shifting under the sheets, no doubt trying to ease some of the pressure on his left side. "A boy down the road, some fifteen year old, tried to talk him into carrying his baby."

"Fifteen! Thirteen!"

"Mama was seventeen when she had me."

"Oh, Lindsey-"

"I'm not asking for your pity."

"I'm not giving it to you. It's just...your bother's so _young_."

"I gave that teenager a piece of my mind. His parents, too. Told my brother to be safe. He's a smart kid."

"I'm sure he is. Any sibling of yours..."

"... Now you see why I work so hard."

"You wanna get them out of there."

"I wanna get them out of there."

They sat in silence for a while.

"If you ever need anything. As a friend..."

"Yeah... I'll hold you to it."

Nate smiled into the darkness. "Go to sleep, Lindsey."

Nate slept in the papasan chair, that night. A physical barrier between Lindsey and the outside world.

It would be years before Lindsey admitted that that was the first night he'd ever felt truly safe a secure. Bruises and all.


	7. Chapter 7

When Lindsey announced in late February that he was now a junior in pre-law, Nate wasn't even surprised.

After the attack, Lindsey had thrown himself at the books twice as hard...if that was at all possible. He tested out of as many classes as he possibly could, and those he couldn't he took as independent study. Nate worried for his younger friend as he watched Lindsey study, day and night, overloaded on credits to the max. He did what he could to help keep Lindsey going, bringing food and coffee and company.

Nate himself was in the process of interviewing for positions in the companies he'd applied to in the fall. IYS seemed to be taking a real interest in him, and he hoped that he'd have a position come the end of March.

The only thing Lindsey really took any time off for were the self-defense and boxing classes he'd signed up for with Nate. He'd been determined to never be jumped, again, and Nate thought it would be fun to do something together that didn't involve books.

Lindsey turned out to be a natural at hand-to-hand, quickly surpassing most of the other students in the class. Nate wondered if there was anything Lindsey was bad at.

The guitar Nate had spied in the corner of Lindsey's closet one day led to the negative.

"You play?" He'd asked, pointing to the open closet door.

"Hm?" Lindsey'd hummed, turning to see what held Nate's attention. "Oh, yeah. I mean, just for me. Sometimes, I'll sing for my siblings."

"Sing for me?" Nate asked, only half-teasing.

Lindsey just smiled his small smile.

"Maybe someday. Does it count if I just think of you the next time I play by myself?"

"Riight."

AN: Yes, it _is _possible to get junior status as a freshman.


	8. Chapter 8

"What will you do, once I've graduated?" Nate asked one evening in March.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm sure you have other friends, but I never see them. What will you do when I'm not around?"

"I thought you were staying in L.A."

"I am."

"Then who's to say I won't still see you?" Lindsey dragged his eyes up to wait patiently for Nate's answer. Nate felt a little pride to see what a difference half a year had wrought. Where once Lindsey would have held little faith in their bond, he now looked at Nate as if the only obvious answer was that they'd always be around each other. "I mean, you'll be...what? Doing paperwork for IYS? What are we doing now? Paperwork for university.

So, your forms and sheets and notes will change, and you'll be getting paid. You'll have an apartment off-campus. So? I'm not demanding you come back here, but I do know how to use the bus system in L.A."

"You'd come to me?" Nate asked, surprised at Lindsey's willingness to cart his books the distance of what could, potentially, be halfway across L.A. That could mean _hours_ on a bus.

Granted, Lindsey would probably read the whole way. Still, that was a long way from the university library.

"Yeah," Lindsey murmured, burying his nose back in his pages, trying to shrug off the importance of his statement.

Nate wouldn't let him off that easy. Not this time.

"Lindsey," He started, sliding across the couch to sit right next to his friend.

"What?" Lindsey snapped. His eyes steadfastly glued to the page.

"You don't have to come all that way. I can just as easily drive to you-"

Lindsey looked up to pin Nate with an intense glare.

"This friendship is a two-way street, Nathan. Granted, you've done a lot for me. But, I don't want you to feel like you're the only one pulling his weight."

Lindsey huffed, turning to gaze off into the room before returning to give Nate a softer look. "It wouldn't be out of my way. Not for my only friend."

Nate rocked back.

"_Only_ friend?"

"The only one I care about. Yeah. Look," Lindsey set his books aside and away from his focus, a first in their history, and turned to face Nate fully. "I've got acquaintances, and study-buddies, and people I'll have lunch with once in a while. But, you... you're different, man. I _like_ having you around, and I'd hate to see this fall apart over something like a graduation ceremony and a little bit of distance.

Nate, you're my best friend." He squirmed a little, darting his eyes around again, clearly agitated with having to bare a few of his _feelings_. "I want you to stick around... I want to stick around _you._ K?"

"Yeah," Nate responded, the corner of his lips hitching into a smile. "I wanna keep you around, too."

Lindsey huffed, turning to reach for his work. "Well, good. Now stop asking me stupid questions. I've got a test tomorrow, and I plan on acing it."

Nate rolled his eyes, but squeezed Lindsey's knee to convey his understanding.

If lindsey leaned towards Nate a little at the touch, neither of them mentioned it.


	9. Chapter 9

The last month of senior year, as well as graduation week, were mostly a blur to Nathan. He remembered studying for and taking his finals. He vaguely remembered apartment hunting with his grandparents (he didn't want his dad anywhere near Lindsey, if he could avoid it, and hadn't invited Ford Sr. to the ceremony week). And he remembered a rep of IYS handing over his final paperwork for the position he'd been offered, making him an official member of the company.

In fact, the only thing that Nate remembered clearly was his father's unexpected arrival at his graduation ceremony, and his utter fear and then shock when Jimmy Ford met Lindsey McDonald.

He'd been expecting his father to sense his true feelings for the younger man and, true to form, Jimmy had picked up on it right away. But instead of scaring the young man off, as Nate had been fearing, Jimmy showed a grudging respect for the pre-law major.

"McDonald, huh?" He'd started as he shook Lindsey's hand. "With or without the "a" in Mc?"

"Without, Sir," Lindsey had replied, his southern manors showing through.

"Ah. So, the Irish spelling," Jimmy had nodded, giving Lindsey's hand one more, firm shake. "Good."

And that was that. Jimmy nodded to Nate, told him to visit home, and off he went. Nate watched as his father joined his grandparents at their car. With a few final blown kisses from his gran, Nate's family climbed in and headed off for the airport.

Nate turned back to his companion, and stared at Lindsey in awe. Lindsey just looked back at him like nothing had happened.

Somehow, in those few seconds, Lindsey had garnered Jimmy Ford's blessing... and the college "junior" didn't even know it.

"So, where do you want to go for dinner?"

"What?" Nate was still reeling from the meeting he'd just witnessed.

"Dinner, Nathan. My treat. I'm collecting on that dinner I owe you."

"Should't _I_ be the one to collect?"

"Meh," Lindsey shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading to the nearest bus stop. "I owe you more than one. You can collect the next one."


End file.
